Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) rescued 18 fishermen from deep in the sea off Cox's Bazar.
The fishermen were adrift on a trawler named FB "Mayer Doa" in the deep sea after its engine gave out in the aftermath of Cyclone Midhili making landfall on Friday, said Lieutenant Commander Khandaker Munif Taki, media officer of the BCG Headquarters here on Saturday afternoon.
He said that the Mayer Doa went to the deep sea from Majhir Ghat in Tekpara area of Cox's Bazar for fishing on November 14. At one stage, the engine of the fishing boat was broken down due to the adverse weather of Cyclone Midhili.
After the cyclone, Coast Guard Station Cox's Bazar, Inani and regular patrol work of Coast Guard "Operation Samudra Prahra" was conducted under the command of Captain Noor Mohammad Tariq Aziz, the captain of Coast Guard ship Mansoor Ali, in rough seas.
During the operation, the 18 fishermen were rescued alive along with the fishing trawler, which was floating in the sea area around 21 nautical miles from Cox's Bazar Light House around 1am on early Saturday. Rescued fishermen were given first aid and food and then the boat with the fishermen was brought to Cox's Bazar coast by the Coast Guard ship.
Later, the Coast Guard contacted the owners of the fishing boats and handed over the fishermen to the owners, he added.
